paddyo

Can't believe the crap I read in papers and see on TV. 6000 fines cancelled in the Lane Cove tunnel to try and protect a state deputy? WTF? The Housing minister ends up being one of the worst landlords in the land etc etc!! I read the local rag and the comments from the councilors and MPs sound more like a bloody working mens club committee.
I like it here but some of the political management is crap!
Not saying the UK is perfect of course!!

ozzieeagle

Your correct, they are amateurish, I blame the 3 tier government system myself.

Although paradoxically Australia did produce one of the best parliamentary performer of all time in Paul Keating, I would have loved to have seen him in Westminster, he would have rocked their world.

ossigeno

I felt the same when I first arrived. You mellow to it after time. When Tony Blair was in Canberra he definitely put the locals in the shade.

Vash the Stampede

Is it just me or does British politics seem amateurish and very very corrupt?
Spoilt for choice, really.

stephendutchman

fair dinkum sticky fingers they all have ,chill out .if you cant beat em ?

paddyo

I did say the UK system wasn't much better!!

oldhampom

Is it just me or are all politicians, from whatever country, untrustworthy self serving toss*rs

The Woodcutter

No - it's not just you!

MartinLuther

I reckon it's about the same. The difference is that the sub-national politics in Aus is more visible than the sub-national politics in the UK. The new assemblies in the UK have increased the visibility a little but as they are less powerful than their Aussie state counterparts, they still attract less attention from the public and the media. Remember they've just elected Boris Johnson to the London Assembly who comes across, in public and on HIGNFY, as extremely amateurish (but may do well if his advisors can keep him under control).

Note to ozzieeagle. The UK has 3-tier (and sometimes 4-tier) government as well and it's as bad as here (as Vash has highlighted).

Wol

No, it's not just you.

The NSW political scene in particular is nauseating, with corruption and pork barrelling being the norm, let alone pure fraud.

Yes, there are similar things in the UK - and everywhere - but the sheer scale and general acceptance of it in Australia is breathtaking.

(How do you spell it: Labour or Labor....)

MartinLuther

The party is called Labor.

I agree that the NSW government does seem amateurish compared to the Vic government. (And I'm not saying the Vic government is perfect.)

If the original question had been about the NSW government only then I would have said "Yes".

stevemich

I still cant get over that the NSW government PAID the Lane Cove tunnel company tens of millions of dollars in compensation to delay Epping Road configuration changes until after the election (something similar was also done on the Cross City tunnel).

No-one seems to care that the local government is paying tax payers money to a private company to help its re-election chances.

paddyo

Yes, on reflection I probably should change my topic header to read 'is it just me or is the NSW government so visibly corrupt and amateurish and run like an old boys club?'

Swerv-o

Yes, and the way that Michael Costa carried on at the party vote over NSW electricity privatisation just reeked of amateurism at least bullying at worst. At the height of any UK political crisis, I can't imagine an elected official publicly swearing at colleagues like he did.

The NSW government really does appear to be just a load of thugs and bullys, with massive vested interests in big business.


S

moneypenny20

I can change it if you like

Totally agree. I think they start out with the right intentions - local councillors wanting to make their local streets nicer etc but then they get a bit of power and want more until finally the power corrupts and they are doing all the damage they wanted to prevent in the first place. That was a bit deep, maybe I'm coming down with something